Trick-chair.



E. 'DE MOULIN.

TRICK CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED 001'. 21, 1908.

941, 1 35. Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

EEASTUS DE MOULIN, F GREENVILLE, ILLINOIS.

TRICK-CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 21, 1908.

Patented Nov. 23, 1909.

Serial No. 458,848.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Emis'ros DE MOULIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenville, in the county of Bond and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Trick-Chair, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to initiation devices and has reference more particularly to trick chairs.

The object of the invention is to provide a chair the seat of which is so mounted that when the mechanism of the chair is set the seat will be maintained in the usual position so as to properly hold the initiate.

Another object is to provide mechanism which may be operated at a distance from the chair for releasing the seat so as to cause the occupant thereof to fall to the floor.

Another object is to provide mechanism whereby a detonator may be automatically discharged during the movementof the seat.

A still further object is to provide means for automatically returning the parts to 7 their initial positions.

v ith these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

in the accompanying drawing, which is a perspective view of a chair embodying the present improvements, the preferred form of the invention has been shown.

referring to the drawing by characters of reference, 1, l designate the frontlegs of the chair, the same being preferably continued upwardly to form the sides 2 of the chair-back 3. The rear legs 4 of the chair may be pivotally connected to the upper portions of the legs 1 and have their upper ends beveled as at 5. The lower portions of the legs may be connected by suitable braces 6 for holding them against spreading and for permitting them to fold when it is desired to collapse the chair.

Brackets 7 extend forward from the upper ends of the legs 1 and are connected by a cross-rod 8 on which are pivotally mounted brackets 9 secured to the side portions of the chair seat 10, said brackets 9 being located at points removed from the rear edge of the seat 10. Leg extensions 11 are pivotally connected to the sides of the seat 10 and have their lower ends beveled as indicated at 12, and designed to rest against the beveled ends of the legs 4. hen the parts are thus positioned the extensions 11 are in a line with the legs The rear edge of the seat is designed to be engaged by a pivoted locking strip 13 mounted upon one of the side strips 2 of the back and having a notch let in the head 15 thereof and into which the edge of the chair is designed to project. A spring 16 is secured to one of the legs 1 and bears against the strip 13 so as to hold it normally in engagement with the chair seat. As shown in the drawings, the upper portion of the head 15 is beveled or rounded as indicated at 17 so that when the chair seat is swung downward against the head, the strip 13 and its head are deflected rearwardly until the seat assumes a position in front of the notch laiwhereupon the spring 16 operates to automatically shift the strip 13 into engagement with the seat and thus lock it. A spring 18 is secured to the bottom of the seat at the rear end thereof and is also connected to a round 19 connecting the legs 1 and at at the points where they cross. Itwill be seen that this spring operates to hold the seat 10 normally substantially horizontal and where it can be engaged by the locking strip 13.

Secured to one face of the locking strip 13 is a spring leaf 20 having a notch 21 therein designed to receive one end of a striker 22 in the form of a metal strip pivotally mounted on rod 8 and designed to be actuated in one direction by a spring 23. This spring is preferably coiled around the rod 8 and has one end secured to the said rod while its other end is secured to the striker. lVhen the striker 22 is in engagement with the spring catch 20 the spring 23 is held under stress; but as soon as this striker is released the spring operates to swing it downward rapidly into contact with a detonator held within a block 24 secured to the inner face of one of the legs 1. This block may be of any preferred construction and preferably consists of a base 25 having a holding sleeve 26 thereon into which the detonator may be placed. This detonator may be in the form of a blank cartridge. In order that the locking strip 13 may be properly actuated a cord 27 is preferably fastened to the lower end thereof, an opening 28 being formed within said end for the reception of the cord.

In using the device described, the chair seat 10 is swung upon its pivot rod 8 so as to bring its rear edge down into engagement with the notch in the head of the locking strip 13. This is the normal position of the seat inasmuch as spring 18 tends to return the seat to this position after it has been shifted therefrom. The striker 22 is placed in engagement with the catch 20 and a cartridge or other detonator is placed within the holder 26. The leg extensions 11 bear against the beveled upper ends of the legs 4:, so as to constitute continuations thereof and the chair will therefore have every appearance of an ordinary folding chair when viewed from the front. The cord 27 may be of any desired length and the person operating it can be concealed from the candidate. The person to be initiated is placed in the chair and the seat will of course hold him as long as desired.

In order to release the apparatus the operator pulls 011 cord 27 and this causes the locking strip 18 to swing rearwardly so as to withdraw from engagement with the rear edge of seat 10. The seat will of course swing downward under the weight of the occupant, and, at the same time, the striker '22 which has been released by the rearward movement of the strip 13 and the catch 20, will swing downward under the action of the spring 23 and strike the detonator held within the sleeve 26, thus exploding it. As soon as the seat has been relieved of the weight of the occupant thereof the spring 18 will return it to its normal position, the spring 16 also operating to return the strip 13 to its normal position, where it will be automatically engaged by the seat.

It is to be understood of course that if desired the mechanism herein described can be so located as to be concealed from view from all sides. Also Various other changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

What is claimed is 1. A chair comprising a supporting struc ture, a seat pivotally mounted thereon, a spring-controlled locking device normally engaging the seat to hold it against movement relative to the structure, means for actuating the locking device to release the seat, and yielding means for holding the seat normally in operative position.

2. A chair comprising a supporting structure, a seat pivotally mounted thereon, a detonator-holder also mounted thereon, a spring-actuated striker cooperating therewith, means for holding the seat and striker againstmovement, and an operating device connecteu to said means for shifting it to simultaneously release the seat and striker.

3. A chair comprising a supporting structure, a seat pivotally mounted thereon, yielding means for holding the seat normally in operative position, a detonator-holder mounted on said structure, a springactuated striker cooperating therewith, a seat-locking device pivotally mounted, a striker-engaging device carried thereby, and means for shifting the locking means to simultaneously release the seat and striker.

a. A chair including a tiltable seat normally held in operative position, a detonator holder mounted thereon, a spring-actuated striker cooperating therewith, and means for simultaneously releasing the seat and the striker.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ERASTUS DE MOULIN.

Witnesses Nnw'roN IV. FINK, H. C. Dim-IL. 

